Garden Sitter Help Needed

[H.C. Heartland]

We are leaving for vacation for a couple months and we have asked someone to take care of our garden. What would you suggest as a payment? Also, are there any other tips that might help? I'm nervous to leave my precious garden in someone else's hands. Maybe we shouldn't go...;-)

 

[ChanellG]

Well, the best thing would be to have a good friend or a neighbor who is a gardener taking care of your yard while you're away. What payment you offer will depend on what you need the person to do while you're gone. Do you just want someone to water once per day? Do you need them to weed and deadhead flowers, turn the compost, etc.?

 

[Pat]

Enjoy your trip, does this person have a garden? If they do have their own garden they know what to do and when to do it. If you have a favorite plant write down instructions of the care for the plant. Ask the person what they expect to receive in pay and if you agree pay it. Let them know nicely that you expect to return to your garden just as it is which lets them know they must take care of the garden.

 

[H.C. Heartland]

Thanks! Great advice. Yes, the person does have a garden but she lives with her mother who is the one who has the green thumb. Thankfully, some of the plants in the garden are from her mother so I am thinking that she will be extra careful with them. I will mostly need her to water and then I can weed when I get back. I like the idea of letting her know the payment before hand. She offered to do it without payment, however, I think if I have a little incentive to do a good job I might come back to my garden the way I like.

 

[Robert Cummings]

Regarding payment, work out how much time per day you require help, decide an hourly rate then one by the other to give you a total, then times times the total time you will be away, there's your answer..

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Guess it depends on. Are you leaving your garden in totally perfection . How long your gone. When you garden how long it take you to bring it back to perfection. Is this veggies or flowers, both. How big we talking.

 

[Sheal]

@Robert Cummings and @Esther Knapicius I hope you don't mind me pointing out that this thread is more than four years old.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

@Robert Cummings and @Esther Knapicius I hope you don't mind me pointing out that this thread is more than four years old.

Don't mind you pointing out. @Sheal , but maybe Robert needs to read it and has the same issue. we all do have gardens and we all do vacation at one point or another during the year. (maybe not "all") rather to pull up the same situation thread than to re-invent a wheel, I say. So maybe Robert wants more insight to continue with the discussion.

 

[Robert Cummings]

Oooo oh dear wonder how it popped up as a new thread on my smart phone, I'm no techno wizard more of a green lizard